Richard Crawford White
Encyclopedia
Richard C. White was an American politician. He served in the Texas House of Representatives
and later as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives
.
Born in El Paso
, Texas
, White graduated from Dudley Primary School, and the El Paso High School, as well as the Citizen's Military Training Camp at San Antonio
, Texas. Subsequently, from 1940 to 1942, he attended the University of Texas at El Paso
, then known as Texas Western College. After his second year of college, White began his World War II service in the United States Marine Corps as a rifleman and Japanese
-English
interpreter
in the Pacific Theater
from 1942 to 1945. As a result of injuries suffered, he was awarded the Purple Heart.
Returning to his native state following the war, White received his bachelor's degree (1946) and doctor of jurisprudence (1949) from the University of Texas. He was admitted to the Texas state bar in 1949, returning to his hometown of El Paso to begin his legal career following his graduation. A Democrat, he was elected to the Texas House in 1954 and served until 1958. Closer to home, he was the El Paso County party chairman from 1963 to 1965. He left his county position after his election to the Eighty-ninth Congress as part of the national 1964 Democratic surge linked to President Lyndon B. Johnson
's crushing defeat of Republican
U.S. Senator Barry M. Goldwater of Arizona
. White played his part by unseating freshman Republican
Representative Ed Foreman
of Odessa
in the 16th congressional district
. One of the few area Republicans to survive the Democratic tide in 1964 was Frank Kell Cahoon
, a Midland
oilman who won the District 70 seat in the Texas House of Representatives.
As a U.S. Representative, White developed a reputation as a proponent of civil rights. He also chaired the Democratic Research Organization, a group within the party that distributed information from the leadership relevant to pending votes. While his military service made him a natural choice for his place on the House's Armed Services committee, he also served on the Interior, Post Office & Civil Service, and Science & Technology committees. Choosing not to stand for reelection in 1982, White returned to El Paso to resume his law practice.
White was married twice. His first marriage was in 1949 to Kathy, who he met while in college. They had three sons: Rodrick, Richard, and Raymond. After his first wife died, his second marriage was to Kathleen Fitzgerald in 1973. This second marriage produced one daughter, Bonnie, two sons, Sean and Brian, and one step-son, Kenneth.
Richard White died on February 18, 1998. His ashes are buried in Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in area 7A.
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
and later as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
.
Born in El Paso
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, White graduated from Dudley Primary School, and the El Paso High School, as well as the Citizen's Military Training Camp at San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, Texas. Subsequently, from 1940 to 1942, he attended the University of Texas at El Paso
University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is a four-year state university, and is a component institution of the University of Texas System. Its campus is located on the bank of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The school was founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy,...
, then known as Texas Western College. After his second year of college, White began his World War II service in the United States Marine Corps as a rifleman and Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
-English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
interpreter
Interpreting
Language interpretation is the facilitating of oral or sign-language communication, either simultaneously or consecutively, between users of different languages...
in the Pacific Theater
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
from 1942 to 1945. As a result of injuries suffered, he was awarded the Purple Heart.
Returning to his native state following the war, White received his bachelor's degree (1946) and doctor of jurisprudence (1949) from the University of Texas. He was admitted to the Texas state bar in 1949, returning to his hometown of El Paso to begin his legal career following his graduation. A Democrat, he was elected to the Texas House in 1954 and served until 1958. Closer to home, he was the El Paso County party chairman from 1963 to 1965. He left his county position after his election to the Eighty-ninth Congress as part of the national 1964 Democratic surge linked to President Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
's crushing defeat of Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
U.S. Senator Barry M. Goldwater of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. White played his part by unseating freshman Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Representative Ed Foreman
Ed Foreman
Edgar Franklin "Ed" Foreman is a motivational speaker in Dallas. He served one term representing a district in west Texas in the United States House of Representatives in 1963-65 and he served one term representing the southern district of New Mexico in Congress from 1969-71.-Early years in New...
of Odessa
Odessa, Texas
Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Odessa, Texas Metropolitan...
in the 16th congressional district
Texas's 16th congressional district
Texas District 16 of the United States House of Representatives is a Congressional district that serves El Paso and the surrounding area in the state of Texas. The current Representative from District 16 is Silvestre Reyes....
. One of the few area Republicans to survive the Democratic tide in 1964 was Frank Kell Cahoon
Frank Kell Cahoon
Frank Kell Cahoon is an oilman and natural gas entrepreneur from Midland, Texas, who was the only Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives in the regular 1965 legislative session. Cahoon served two terms in the legislature from 1965 to 1969...
, a Midland
Midland, Texas
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
oilman who won the District 70 seat in the Texas House of Representatives.
As a U.S. Representative, White developed a reputation as a proponent of civil rights. He also chaired the Democratic Research Organization, a group within the party that distributed information from the leadership relevant to pending votes. While his military service made him a natural choice for his place on the House's Armed Services committee, he also served on the Interior, Post Office & Civil Service, and Science & Technology committees. Choosing not to stand for reelection in 1982, White returned to El Paso to resume his law practice.
White was married twice. His first marriage was in 1949 to Kathy, who he met while in college. They had three sons: Rodrick, Richard, and Raymond. After his first wife died, his second marriage was to Kathleen Fitzgerald in 1973. This second marriage produced one daughter, Bonnie, two sons, Sean and Brian, and one step-son, Kenneth.
Richard White died on February 18, 1998. His ashes are buried in Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in area 7A.